ABSTRACT:
The integration of propellant systems enables the realization of a new class of devices called micro rockets or micro thrusters. Their main originality is the use of only one solid propellant loaded in a small tank in a polymeric substrate. Thus, the structure consists of a sandwich of three parts, namely nozzles, igniters and propellant chambers. Few identified application of micro rockets in space with the realization of microscale thrusters for the control of the attitude or/and the station keeping of very small satellites, course correction of satellites and clusters of micro rockets with sensors in deep space explorations including gravitation compensation and orbit adjustments.

The project details the design, fabrication and testing of arrays of solid propellant rockets assembled in a polymeric substrate with an electrical ignition system and two different thrust measurement systems, each used for two different sizes of rockets of propellant chamber of diameter of 1mm and 2mm each. Also, this project presents an idea of using basic solid mechanics for calculating thrust of the micro rocket. The thrust generated from type 1 micro rocket is in range of 1 mN – 3.1mN and from type 2 micro rocket is 0.857 N. The thrust reliability of different methods has been discussed and future scope of presented project is also detailed.